On mend after cancer, Gregg Primo finds comfort in giving back

If there has been one constant in Gregg Primo's life during his five-year, two-time cancer battle, it has been his devotion to helping others at the Saturday Morning Kitchen.

Primo, 38, started the soup kitchen in 1988 as an Eagle Scouts project. With his parents, Joseph and Elizabeth, Primo runs the kitchen bimonthly from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays at the Church of the Holy Spirit, 160 Rock St.

"The kitchen was the normalcy for my parents while I was going through cancer," said Primo, a professional chef and lifelong Fall River resident.

On June 15, 2007, Primo was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after a routine X-ray showed nodules in his lungs. The cancer was given a stage four prognosis due to its location, and further tests showed that the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes.

"It's so life-altering," said Primo, who spent the next several months undergoing numerous chemotherapy treatments at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston in an attempt to rid his body of the disease.

The chemotherapy killed new cancer that had recently developed, but the mature cancer was still active. Primo underwent a stem-cell transplant in 2008 and was incubated for 120 days while his body adjusted to the new cells.

"You learn a lot about yourself and you learn a lot about your friends," said Primo, who said his parents and best friends were with him every step of the way.

When Primo was cleared by doctors to return to a more normal way of life, he moved from his parents' home, where he had been recuperating, to an apartment. He started working at Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School as a substitute teacher and also catered.

In 2009, Primo underwent a series of blood transfusions to remain healthy. While he was working as a chef with the Sakonnet Golf Club in Little Compton, R.I., a co-worker noticed that Primo's skin had turned grey after going one week without a transfusion.

Soon after, Primo had another biopsy and doctors found that he had myelodysplasia — the same disease that "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts is battling. The disease is associated with a decreased production in blood cells.

Primo's doctors and family were devastated by the news.

"Everyone was so upset," said Primo. "When is this nightmare going to end?"

Primo underwent a bone marrow transplant at Dana-Farber and received umbilical cord blood from the United Kingdom. He endured another 120 days of incubation and lost his taste buds for two months.

"Being a chef, I thought everything had come to an end," said Primo, who at the time of his first diagnosis was working as a culinary instructor at New England Culinary Institute in Vermont.

Not only was the cancer taking its toll on Primo, but it was taking its toll on his family as well. With medications costing up to $1,000 per pill and $2,500 for a liquid form, it was nearly impossible to afford daily living expenses such as food and gas.

Thanks to generous donations from The Jimmy Fund and various benefits held by family and friends, Primo was able to get what he needed to continue his tough battle against cancer.

It was a joyous moment when, after drinking a cup of coffee, Primo complained to his mother that it tasted bitter. Screaming with excitement, his mother and best friend pointed out that Primo's taste buds had come back.

"It didn't even dawn on me that I had tasted it," he said. "I just thought they were mad about me insulting the coffee."

Now 17 months after the bone marrow transplant, Primo said he can't remember the last time he had gone so long without visiting Dana-Farber for some kind of treatment.

"My next appointment is in December," he said. "I just can't believe it. The doctors and nurses there are like family."

Primo is looking to get back on track in the culinary world, but is finding that hard because of his cancer battle.

"You tell employers that you're 17 months post-bone marrow transplant and they look at you like you have four heads," said a frustrated Primo, who holds an associate's degree in culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University in Providence and has worked for many local restaurants and dining services.

As Primo looks for his dream job, he continues to dedicate his time to helping others who are less fortunate at the Saturday Morning Kitchen.

Food donations from local businesses such as Walgreens and Reis Meat Market, along with monetary donations from local doctors and business owners, keep the kitchen running.

Primo also credits the volunteers — many of whom are employed by Charlton Memorial Hospital — with helping to keep the kitchen running while Primo and his parents spent time at Dana-Farber.

"We have a well-rounded group of volunteers, and with everything I have gone through, they still managed to pull off the soup kitchen twice a month," said Primo.

Aside from serving food, of which Primo's mother cooks a large portion, the Saturday Morning Kitchen also accepts clothing and toy donations.

"The people that come are allowed to go through the items, and whatever's left we bring to the veteran's association or Steppingstone (behavioral health and homeless services center) here in the city," said Primo.

With the economy in shambles, Primo said that he sees more and more people in need of hot meals.

"We used to get anywhere from 50 to 60 people, and now we're up to 120 to 150," Primo said. "We're also getting a lot more families, veterans and the elderly."

Primo said he looks forward to the future, noting that the only way to get there is to help each other.

"We could be home goofing off on a Saturday, but instead we're here because people are in need," he said.

"Surviving cancer is a learning experience. Although I have to be monitored for the next five years, life can now move on. I'm a survivor."